Grainger and the Red Cross Celebrate 20 Years of Partnership

CHICAGO – Grainger announced that this year marks a significant milestone with the American Red Cross, the country’s premier disaster relief organization. For 20 years, Grainger has helped power the Red Cross’ mission to provide safety and support to those most in need.

Grainger proudly supports the relentless work of the Red Cross with financial and in-kind product donations, totaling more than $21 million since 2001, investments to strengthen the organization’s technology and workforce, and countless volunteer hours dedicated by team members. The partnership began with a goal of leveraging Grainger’s strengths in the supply chain, logistics, and distribution to help get products to affected areas during natural disasters. Since then, the relationship has expanded to include disaster recovery efforts and proactive volunteering initiatives with Grainger’s 23,000 team members.

“Grainger’s unwavering generosity has enabled the Red Cross to deliver comfort and care to people in their times of greatest need,” said Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross. “In honor of the 20th anniversary of our partnership, I am delighted to share my heartfelt appreciation with Grainger for their long-standing and remarkable commitment. Thank you for standing by our side to help people and communities impacted by disasters each and every day.”

Grainger and the American Red Cross recognize the following milestones in their 20-year relationship:

• Grainger supported over 40 national volunteer deployments as part of the Ready When the Time Comes® (RWTC) program, which provided training to ensure that large groups of local volunteers were ready to respond when a disaster strikes.
• For the national Home Fire Campaign, Grainger donated more than 170,370 smoke alarms, which enabled the Red Cross to achieve 2.2 million total smoke alarm installations nationwide.
• As an annual Disaster Responder Program member, Grainger provides donations that help the Red Cross prepare for and respond to disasters and home fires.
• Grainger’s participation in the Missing Maps program helped humanitarian organizations locate “unmapped” vulnerable communities that experience natural disasters to deliver much needed resources. This is done by volunteers tracing satellite imagery into a mapping system. To date, Grainger volunteers have recorded more than 90,000 buildings within several countries in Asia and Africa.
• Other volunteer-supported efforts include blood drives, comfort kit builds, hands-free CPR training and boards membership service. Grainger volunteers made a positive impact in communities through countless volunteer hours supporting these efforts.

“Grainger’s team members stand behind the company’s purpose: We Keep the World Working™. Through the American Red Cross partnership, Grainger lives its purpose at times when communities need us most,” said Matt Fortin, Grainger’s Vice President and President, Merchandising and Supplier Management, and American Red Cross Board Member. “It’s an honor to support the American Red Cross and to continue to build strong relationships together,” he added.

For more information on the many ways to support the American Red Cross and their disaster preparedness and response efforts, please visit www.redcross.org.

To learn more about how Grainger invests in communities, please visit www.GraingerESG.com.